Read: An open letter from retired generals and admirals opposing the Iran nuclear deal

25 August, 2015Hon. John A. BoehnerSpeaker of the HouseUnited States House of Representatives1011 Longworth House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515-3508Hon. Nancy PelosiMinority LeaderUnited States House of Representatives233 Cannon House Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20515-0512Hon. Mitch McConnellMajority LeaderUnited States Senate317 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510-1702Hon. Harry ReidMinority LeaderUnited States Senate522 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, D.C. 20510-2803Dear Representatives Boehner and Pelosi and Senators McConnell and Reid:As you know, on July 14, 2015, the United States and five other nations announced that aJoint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has been reached with Iran to prevent it fromdeveloping nuclear weapons. In our judgment as former senior military officers, the agreementwill not have that effect. Removing sanctions on Iran and releasing billions of dollars to itsregime over the next ten years is inimical to the security of Israel and the Middle East. There isno credibility within JCPOA’s inspection process or the ability to snap back sanctions oncelifted, should Iran violate the agreement. In this and other respects, the JCPOA would threatenthe national security and vital interests of the United States and, therefore, should be disapprovedby the Congress.The agreement as constructed does not “cut off every pathway” for Iran to acquirenuclear weapons. To the contrary, it actually provides Iran with a legitimate path to doing thatsimply by abiding by the deal. JCPOA allows all the infrastructure the Iranians need for anuclear bomb to be preserved and enhanced. Notably, Iran is allowed to: continue to enrichuranium; develop and test advanced centrifuges; and continue work on its Arak heavy-waterplutonium reactor. Collectively, these concessions afford the Iranians, at worst, a ready breakoutoption and, at best, an incipient nuclear weapons capability a decade from now.

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The agreement is unverifiable. Under the terms of the JCPOA and a secret side deal (towhich the United States is not privy), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will beresponsible for inspections under such severe limitations as to prevent them from reliablydetecting Iranian cheating. For example, if Iran and the inspectors are unable to reach anaccommodation with respect to a given site, the result could be at least a 24-day delay in IAEAaccess. The agreement also requires inspectors to inform Iran in writing as to the basis for itsconcerns about an undeclared site, thus further delaying access. Most importantly, theseinspections do not allow access to Iranian military facilities, the most likely location of theirnuclear weapons development efforts. In the JCPOA process, there is substantial risk of U.S.intelligence being compromised, since the IAEA often relies on our sensitive data with respect tosuspicious and/or prohibited activity.While failing to assure prevention of Iran’s nuclear weapons development capabilities,the agreement provides by some estimates $150 billion dollars or more to Iran in the form ofsanctions relief. As military officers, we find it unconscionable that such a windfall could begiven to a regime that even the Obama administration has acknowledged will use a portion ofsuch funds to continue to support terrorism in Israel, throughout the Middle East and globally,whether directly or through proxies. These actions will be made all the more deadly since theJCPOA will lift international embargoes on Iran’s access to advanced conventional weapons andballistic missile technology.In summary, this agreement will enable Iran to become far more dangerous, render theMideast still more unstable and introduce new threats to American interests as well as our allies.In our professional opinion, far from being an alternative to war, the Joint Comprehensive Planof Action makes it likely that the war the Iranian regime has waged against us since 1979 willcontinue, with far higher risks to our national security interests. Accordingly, we urge theCongress to reject this defective accord.Sincerely,

Brigadier General John R. Allen, Jr., US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General John C. Arick, US Marine Corps, RetiredBrigadier General Loring R. Astorino, US Air Force, RetiredRear Admiral Robert E. Besal, US Navy, RetiredBrigadier General William Bloomer, US Marine Corps, RetiredBrigadier General George P. Cole, Jr., US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Richard A. Coleman, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General James L. Crouch, US Air Force, RetiredRear Admiral Marianne B. Drew, US Navy, RetiredBrigadier General Philip M. Drew, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Larry K. Grundhauser, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Thomas W. Honeywill, US Air Force, Retired

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178.179.180.181.182.183.184.185.186.187.188.189.190.

Brigadier General Gary M. Jones, US Army, RetiredBrigadier General Stephen Lanning, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Thomas J. Lennon, US Air Force, RetiredRear Admiral Bobby C. Lee, US Navy, RetiredBrigadier General Robert F. Peksens, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Joe Shaefer, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Graham E. Shirley, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Stanley O. Smith, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General Hugh B. Tant III, US Army, RetiredBrigadier General Michael Joseph Tashjian, US Air Force, RetiredBrigadier General William Tiernan, US Marine Corps, RetiredBrigadier General Roger W. Scearce, US Army, RetiredBrigadier General Robert V. Woods, US Air Force, Retired